


Our dusks and dawns

by Saskiel



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26647249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saskiel/pseuds/Saskiel
Summary: Modern-day WoL shares dates with Emet, well, kinda x))
Relationships: Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Our dusks and dawns

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely inspired by 'Only you' - version by Selena Gomez, in case you want some music to go with this short story.
> 
> Thank you so much for the beta work, Blue! ^_^

Another long day at the office. The lamps were already casting a soft light over the pavement as she walked to the front door of her home. It was an older building from the thirties, but you would not be able to tell that just by standing inside. The decorations resembled posh hotels from that time period, black marble floors with white veins complimented the golden accents alongside the walls.

Taking the elevator, she checked her phone. There were a few messages from her friends, some from work, but they would wait till morning. It was nearly time for her date. She tossed her messenger bag and purse onto the dresser in the hallway, right after walking in the apartment. She sighed, tired, as she took off her black stilettos. Sometimes she wondered how it would be to work in an industry that didn’t have such a strict dress code.

There wasn’t time to ponder such questions now. Tossing her clothes into the hamper, she took a quick, hot shower, all the while glancing at the small clock placed on top of the sink. The sun was soon to set and she wanted to be ready on time. Her hair was still damp when she pulled on her favorite sweater, together with the pajama bottoms, she was nearly ready. Only one thing was missing now.

The soft tunes carried from across the street through her open living room window when she walked out of the kitchen with the wine glass in her hand. She smiled to herself and made her way to the windowsill. It was low and wide enough to sit on, a small cushion already waiting for her.

The building opposite from hers was its exact copy and the distance between them was not that big, making each note from the piano audible to her. The man sitting behind the instrument was clad in an old-time suit. She knew a lot of men who would be quite uncomfortable in it, but he seemed quite at ease.

Taking a sip of her chardonnay, she got lost in the sight. The white streak of his hair stood out in the darkened room. He was too far for her to see the color of his eyes, but she knew they were golden. They had an unusual glow in today’s world for sure. The curtains blowing in the wind would sometimes hide the musician, but she didn’t mind. She could be blind and his visage would still come up perfectly in her mind.

It took him a while to notice her, but when he did, a small smile showed on his lips. His fingers never stopped moving across the keys. For the better part of an hour, they would simply look at each other from across the other building, him only occasionally glancing down to his hands, her checking the clock every once in a while.

There were times when she wanted to say something, but knew it would be pointless, the distance was too great for him to hear her.

In the end, she got up, left the empty glass on the table, and went to bed. The music continued for another ten minutes or so before it slowly ceased, but by that time, she was already asleep.

oOo

The clock on the nightstand woke her up at five o’clock in the morning. For a moment, she was tempted to go back to sleep, but there was a busy day ahead of her, so she slipped out of the bed and wrapped herself in a fluffy robe to start her morning routine. Not too much later, she was sitting on the same cushion as last night, a cup of coffee warming her hands in the chilly morning air.

Sure enough, he entered the living room of the apartment in the house opposite hers and seated himself behind the piano. This morning, he wore a light-weight button-up shirt, all in black. He gave her an affectionate smile as he started the melody. It was somewhat lighter than last evening, held a bit more hope. She sipped her creamy coffee and smiled back at him. She enjoyed their dusk dates but it was the dawn that she loved to spend with him, because it was a new day, a blank slate. Anything could happen, the possibilities were endless.

She left her apartment right as the sun rose, and the music stopped.

oOo

A week later, after another exhausting day, she was about to enter her apartment building when someone called her name. Turning around, she saw the owner of the other house, waving at her. Glancing at her wristwatch, she reluctantly crossed the street.

“Good evening, miss,” he greeted her with a smile. One of his front teeth was missing, but he was a nice fella and she always liked him. “It has been a while since I saw you!”

She liked him more when he wasn’t wasting her time. She had a date to get to.

“Good evening,” she nodded to the older man. “It has been a while, indeed. I am sorry but it has been a stressful day so I am quite ready to go home. Was there anything you wished to talk to me about?”

“Oh,” he took off his hat and started inspecting it as if it was suddenly the most important thing. “Just that the payment for unit 33 did not come in yet.”

Her brows furrowed at that. “Excuse me, some sort of mistake must have happened, I will check with the bank first thing in the morning. Hopefully, the money should be transferred promptly after.”

The owner’s face lit up a bit, although his cheeks were slightly rosy when he continued, “Thank you so much, miss. I am sorry to trouble you about this, you always pay on time. I just have to wonder why you keep renting that empty place, you know. I got folks that would be willing to move in otherwise if you ever decide that you no longer need it.”

He was polite enough but she could hear the confusion of why she was paying extra money when she had a perfectly fine apartment right across the street.

“It’s a sentimental thing. But I will think about what you said,” she said with a smile before bidding him goodnight and walking home.

She wasn’t delayed by a lot but by the time she sat down in the familiar spot, the musician was already playing. He was smiling at her, oblivious to her problems, but frowned after seeing her expression. She could see the plethora of questions written on his face and all she wanted to do was to answer them. But she couldn’t.

He continued to play the mournful theme for her, for them, until the dusk achingly blended into the night and she watched him disappear with the last sunlight. Only then she got up and put on her coat.

When she unlocked the other apartment that she was renting, she slipped in and closed the door. She did not turn on the light, the street lamps were illuminating the place well enough. Instead, she walked towards the piano right at the window. Everything was covered in a layer of dust. She did not pay it any mind as she sat down on the small stool. Lifting her fingers, she hit a few of the familiar keys. She continued where he left off, her eyes blurry with tears.

_“I remember…”_


End file.
